Brown Eyed Beauty
by MoorePrimary
Summary: Loki never expected that the first woman he's ever had interest in would be quite so small, or quite so caring. He also didn't expect for her to be mortal. That sweet southern accent would probably kill him one day. [Loki,OC] Set after the first Avengers movie, AU, Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Loki never expected that the first woman he's ever had interest in would be quite so small, or quite so caring. He also didn't expect for her to be mortal. That sweet southern accent would probably kill him one day.**

_Chapter 1_

She didn't know why she agreed to this. It would probably be Hell on Earth for her once he got here. There was a difference between good, southern hospitality and downright dumbassery, and this happened to fall under the latter.

Who the Hell knows what would happen once he got here. She was opening up her home in The Middle of Nowhere, New Mexico to a supposedly bloodthirsty alien god. He was supposed to be on his best behavior, according to the SHIELD agents who she had been in contact with, but that didn't really mean anything. His best behavior could still be murderous, for all she knew.

She would have to worry about all that when he got there, though. She had a lunch to get done for her new roommate and whoever his escort would be. Probably Thor.

* * *

He couldn't believe they were doing this to him. He would have rather stayed in Asgard, even if he did have to stay in the dungeons. But instead, they were forcing him to go to Midgard and live with a mortal woman until they deemed his punishment complete. They hadn't called it a punishment, though. Their exact words had actually been, "until you learn how to feel again." To him, it was the same thing as a punishment.

Who wanted to feel? Who wanted to have emotions clouding your every decision and making life hard for them? He certainly didn't, and he definitely didn't want to be taught how to by a pathetic mortal woman.

"Brother!" Thor shouted as he finally arrived to his temporary holding cell. "Are you ready to depart to Midgard?"

"I suppose I have no other choice but to be," Loki said with a long-suffering sigh.

"Wonderful!" Thor rejoiced. "Then let us be off!"

He was released from his cell and handcuffed before being led to the Bifrost. From there, they said their goodbye's to Heimdall, and carried on to Midgard.

* * *

It was like a thunder crash in her front yard when they arrived. She knew her yard was perfectly fine, however. Thor had arrived like that before. It was just lucky that she had no neighbors. She didn't think she would have liked to see the stares of them if she had any.

She made it to her front door and opened it as they were coming up onto her porch.

"Lady Reese!" That was her, just Reese, though. She couldn't get Thor to quit with the Lady bit.

"Thor! Honey, come on in. This must be Loki, how are you sweetie?" she asked with a friendly grin as they walked into her living room. She wasn't about to be a bad host just because her guest was unpredictable.

Loki seemed surprised by her niceness.

"We are well, Lady Reese!" Thor answered for the both of them.

"Good, good," Reese said as she turned to lead them to her kitchen. "Thor, honey, why don't you get those cuffs off Loki. I made some lunch and I'm pretty sure he'd like to be able to feed himself."

"Wonderful. Lady Reese! What have you prepared, might I ask?" Thor thundered in his usual way. Reese wondered why Loki hadn't said anything yet, but decided not to dwell on it for too long. He would speak when he felt like it.

Thor and Loki stopped by her kitchen entryway so the cuffs could be removed. Her kitchen wasn't very large, but it was large enough to accommodate a tree of an Asgardian, his slightly smaller brother, and a woman whose head barely cleared the smaller ones nipples. There was a stove, a good amount of countertop, a large sink, and medium sized fridge. She didn't need a lot of room. She was only one person.

Reese set about putting the food out on the table so her guests could get to them. There was a platter of sandwiches – a lot, because she knew how Thor ate, and if Loki's appetite was anything similar, she would need a lot of food – a bowl of fresh tossed salad that had a nice Italian dressing distributed through it, and another bowl with pasta salad in it. There was an abundance of each dish, and she hoped it would be enough.

Thor wasted no time sitting down and loading a plate down with what he wanted to eat once he freed his brother from his handcuffs. Loki continued to stand there, obviously unsure of what to do. Reese didn't like him just standing there. Loki was a villain, but that didn't mean she wanted him to be uncomfortable in her home. Especially since it was going to be his home for the next who-knows-how-long.

"Loki, come on and sit down, sugar. There's plenty of food if you're hungry," Reese said to him. "Thor, honey, what do you want to drink? I have some iced tea, there's a pot of coffee on right now, and there's a cold pitcher of water in the fridge," she informed as she opened the door to her refrigerator. "Oh, and some sweet lemonade," she tacked on.

"I would like the lemonade beverage, Lady Reese. I do not believe I have ever tried it," Thor said around a bite of turkey sandwich.

"Comin' right up." She pulled the large pitcher of lemonade out and set it down onto the counter. She pulled a glass down from one of her cabinets and filled it to the brim with lemonade. She set it down in front of Thor. "Here you go, Thor."

She was about to sit and help herself to some lunch when she noticed Loki still hadn't sat down. She stood up and walked up to him. Reese ignored her own nervousness and pressed her hand to his back.

"Loki, honey, come sit down," she told him as she led him to a chair. He sat gracefully and just looked at the food. "What do you want to drink, sweetie," she asked as she made her way to the refrigerator again. She waited for a long time for him to answer but he didn't seem very inclined to speak. She turned and saw that his brow was crinkled in thought. Reese realized that he maybe hadn't had any Earth drinks. She decided that she would just give him her favorite and if he didn't like it, she would get him something else until she found something he liked.

She pulled the pitcher of her iced sweet tea out of the refrigerator and poured him a glass like she did with Thor. She sat it down in front of him and pulled her chair out so she could settle down and feed herself.

She put a sandwich and a little bit of salad and pasta on her plate.

"Get some food, Loki," she encouraged before she took a bite of her pasta salad. She was pleased to see that he listened and carefully pulled a sandwich onto his plate. She kept an eye on him, both to make sure he didn't pull any funny business and to make sure he ate. Reese didn't like it when her guests didn't eat at least something.

Reese was definitely a mother hen, and she admitted it to anyone who asked. She made it her business to take care of the people who came into her home, and she enjoyed it. She wanted her guests to feel welcome and comfortable around her.

Reese was caring, don't get it wrong, but she was also feisty and didn't let people walk all over her. She hated it when people mistook her kindness for weakness. She could make anyone feel about two inches tall with words alone and would rip your face off with her bare hands just as soon as she would give you a smile. She wasn't someone to mess with, especially when she was pissed off.

That was why SHIELD and the Asgardians had chosen her to be Loki's roommate for the unforeseeable future. She could roll with the punches and swing a few herself. She could handle Loki and his ridiculously annoying personality. She could probably annoy him just as much as he would annoy her.

Reese watched Loki take a tentative sip of his tea and smirked a tiny bit when he looked pleasantly surprised at the taste. He took a deeper sip and set his glass back down before he took a fork-full of the pasta salad he had ladled onto his plate. Thor went through most of the sandwiches and pasta salad on his own. Half the pitcher of lemonade was gone and after 3 shattered glasses, he was sipping from a large plastic cup. He couldn't break a plastic cup by slamming it on the ground. He'd have to step on it or something.

Loki seemed to be thoroughly annoyed by Thor by the end of the meal. Thor was boisterous and loud and even with someone he didn't know very well, he talked a lot. Loki was fairly quiet throughout lunch, only piping up when he was addressed directly with a question from either Thor or Reese. Reese caught him looking at her two or three times and found it unnerved her slightly.

It wasn't that he was looking at her, it was the way he was looking at her. She didn't know what she was seeing in his eyes, but it made her nervous. Why was he looking at her like that? She knew she was probably very odd to him, but she couldn't think of what she could have done to make him look at her like he had never seen anything quite like her.

Lunch was finished and Thor stood to leave.

"I'm going to see Lady Jane. I may stay there for a few days, Lady Reese, but I will be back to check in on Loki soon," he promised her.

"Alright, honey, you don't be a stranger, you hear me? Come on back anytime." She smiled brightly, patting his large arm just above the elbow. He nodded and smiled back just as brightly.

"Indeed I will, Lady Reese." He patted her head, and she turned away and he zoomed away with his hammer gripped in his outstretched hand. It would take him a while to get to Albuquerque from here, probably. It was at least two hours away by car.

She went into the kitchen to find Loki leaning against the counter, munching on a piece of lettuce from the nearly untouched salad. Who knew Asgardians didn't like salad much? They apparently loved pasta, though salad because there was only a few bits of corkscrew noodle left in the bottom of the large bowl. Even Loki had gotten multiple helpings of it.

Reese set about cleaning up while Loki stood and watched. She left the last few sandwiches on the counter and slid the bowl of salad into the refrigerator. She tossed the last bits of pasta salad into the trash and set the bowl into the sink to be cleaned later. She scraped the dirty plates clean over the trash can and set them into the sink to be cleaned with the bowl later and finally turned to Loki.

"Alright, how about a tour now?" She asked with a small smile at him as she tried to quell her nervousness now that she was truly alone with him.

**And woop, there it is. This is my first Avengers story. It's set after Thor takes Loki back to Asgard after he tries to take over the world. I'm not completely sure how I'm going to write Loki. He's pretty OOC this chapter, but we'll find out why he's not being a snarky asshole next chapter, because it's going to be in his perspective. Thanks so much for checking it out! Please drop a review and let me know how I'm doing, give me some advice, whatever you feel like. I like constructive criticism, but please try not to be an ass about it. Constructive criticism is completely different from telling me to die because I completely ruined The Avengers for you with one little chapter. Anyway, signing off for now!**

**Primary.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: Loki never expected that the first woman he's ever had interest in would be quite so small, or quite so caring. He also didn't expect for her to be mortal. That sweet southern accent would probably kill him one day.**

_Chapter 2_

Loki hated traveling with Thor. He was rough and ungraceful. When they landed, Loki had to catch himself from stumbling. If Thor wasn't holding onto Loki, he wouldn't have stumbled, but as it were, Thor did have a hold of his bicep, so he almost lost his footing.

He tugged himself out of Thor's grip and stood. Hos brother stood there for a moment, looking around before he started forward toward the only house inside. They were on what looked like a small stage with an overhanging roof. In the center of the stage at the back was a door that led into the house of whoever he would be staying with.

The door swung open as they stepped up onto the wooden boards of the stage and there stood who Loki assumed to be his host for probably the rest of her life. Loki knew there was no way he would change. Not the way all the Asgardians wanted him to, anyway.

She held the door open as she greeted them brightly. Loki was surprised to hear such a sweet voice address him with such an endearing term as 'sweetie.' Loki would be an idiot to not admit that she had a beautiful smile as well.

When they were finally inside, Loki got a good look at his host, Reese, Thor had called her. An odd name, but nice all the same. Loki thought it suited her.

Reese was small, ridiculously so. He head came up to his chest, just under the armpit. She was even shorter compared to Thor. She had a small face, with unevenly full lips. Her top was only a tad smaller than her bottom. Her eyes were big, doe-like, and brown. It was a nice brown, full of dimension and depth. Curved, perfectly shaped eyebrows rested over them. Her nose was small and upturned. She had long reddish-brown hair, insanely long. Even the women in Asgard didn't keep their hair that long. The tip of the long braid Reese was keeping her hair in hung down past her bottom. He wondered how long it must have taken to grow it out like that.

She was thin, in his opinion, with dainty curves that he could see through the lavender dress she was wearing. The hem fluttered around her thighs, just above her knees as she walked in front of them.

_She's quite attractive, _Loki thought. He immediately wanted to punch himself in the face. This woman was _mortal_ for fuck's sake. Mortals were not attractive. They were disgusting, pathetic worms who were so beneath him that he might actually mistake one for a nasty insect.

But, oh, this mortal was attractive. She was quite pretty, with her long russet braid and her smooth, olive complexion and bright, happy eyes, and her little, bare feet padding across her kitchen floor as she bustled around, trying to make them comfortable and her sweet, lilting voice asking him to have a seat and make himself at home and her small, dainty hands wrapped around a glass of some yellow drink that Thor had never tried before and –

STOP!

She was a disgusting mortal and that was that. His face twisted into a scowl as he thought of how disgusting mortals really were. He didn't realize that he hadn't taken a seat until Reese came over to him and led him to a seat with a plush cushion on it with her dainty little hand on his back.

"What do you want to drink, sweetie," she asked him. She had a strange accent. It was obviously American. He scoured his thoughts, trying to figure out where exactly in America that accent would be, but came up blank. It was a twangy accent that was oddly pleasant to his ears.

His thought process was interrupted by the soft clink of a glass of something that looked like ale being set down in a clear glass in front of him. He tried to remember if she had listed ale as an option when she had listed off what beverages she had for them. He couldn't remember it being an option.

She took a seat next to him, the one across from Thor, and began to serve herself.

"Get some food, Loki," she told him. She took a small bite of whatever she had on her fork and hummed softly in delight. It looked to be involuntary, because she didn't seem to notice the small noise escape her.

Loki decided that food might be a good idea. He hadn't eaten since early that morning, and his stomach seemed to be ready to start grabbing food on its own if he didn't do it himself soon. He pulled a concoction of bread and meats onto his plate and ladled a spoon-full of whatever Reese had taken a bite of onto it as well. Before he started eating, he took a tentative sip of the beverage she had put in front of him. The taste surprised him. It was obviously tea, now that he tasted it, but much sweeter than he was used to and much colder. He drank a little more before setting his glass down and taking a bit of the bread-meat thing.

He found that he quite enjoyed everything on the table, especially the pasta salad and regular salad. Loki would watch his host. He decided she was quite strange. Too nice, perhaps. No mortal was quite so nice as she was. He couldn't decide if he liked that, or if maybe he wanted to stamp that part of her out, snuff it out like a burning candle, crushing the wick between his fingers to suffocate the flame.

He tried not to seem too enthusiastic when she asked him how he liked everything, but he was pretty sure she didn't believe him.

"Satisfactory," he answered in as dry a voice as he could muster. She only smiled and continued to eat her own food, holding a conversation with Thor across the table.

When Thor finally left them, he stayed in her small kitchen, snacking on a last piece of lettuce before she came back and cleaned up the remnants of their meal. Thankfully, she put the remainders of salad into her cold box so that they could continue to eat it.

Loki watched her scurry around, cleaning off dishes and placing them in her large cleaning basin. He couldn't help but think of just how pretty he found her, even if she was just a mortal. She had such a nice hair color. Wisps of her hair was coming loose from her braid, coming forward to frame her face, brushing against her jaw.

Who was he really even kidding. He hadn't even known her for more than 3 hours so far, and he already found her beautiful. What was wrong with him? He was disgusted with himself. He found a _mortal attractive._ He was a god, and gods do not finds lowly beings such as mortals attractive.

When she finally turned to him, he found himself caught off guard. Her eyes were twinkling as they had for the past 3 hours, but he also saw something else there. He realized it was nervousness, and almost couldn't hold back the smirk he felt coming on. She was nervous around him.

_Good, she should be nervous,_ he thought maliciously. He could do whatever he wanted to her. He had the power, not she.

"Alright," she said brightly, the nervousness diminishing in her eyes. "How about a tour now?"

**Boom, now we've got their introduction from both perspectives. We also found out why Loki was so dang quiet last chapter. He's kinda smitten, but kinda not. I guess he's sort of somewhere in the middle. He's like, "dang this hunny is fine," but at the same time he's like, "ew gross, ****_mortals_****," and he just has to work through all that prejudice and stuff before he can see her as more than just a pretty-for-a-mortal lady. It might take a bit though, who knows. Reese hasn't really started feeling anything for him yet, but Loki's kind of always known exactly what he wants in life, even if he can't recognize it at first. Anyway, drop a review! Signing out for now,**

**Primary.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: Loki never expected that the first woman he's ever had interest in would be quite so small, or quite so caring. He also didn't expect for her to be mortal. That sweet southern accent would probably kill him one day.**

_Chapter 3_

Reese led Loki down the hallway that branched off from the kitchen, wondering when the SHIELD agents would be here to check that Loki had made it here and wasn't causing any trouble. She stopped at the first door, her guest room.

"This is your room," she told Loki. He opened the door quickly and stepped inside. He looked around, examining the place. She hoped he liked it. She had spent an entire day shopping for bedding and bedroom items she thought he might like. Most of it was green and black, because she figured he liked those colors. They were the colors of his battle gear and everyday wardrobe, Thor had told her. So that was what she went with.

He nodded in what she hoped was an appraising way and stepped back, shutting the door again. She led him on to the next door on the opposing side of the hallway from his room, a few feet further down the hall. She pushed the door open.

"This is the bathroom," she informed him. It wasn't a very large bathroom, but it had everything a person needed from one. There was a bathtub with a shower head, a toilet, and a sink with a mirror secured to the wall above the sink.

"It's the only one," she continued, "so we'll have to share. I don't take very long in the shower, except on hairwashing day, so if I take longer than 10 minutes any other day, just peck on the door and I'll try to speed it up." She smiled up at him brightly, closing the door to lead him on further down the hall.

Right next to the bathroom was an office with a large bookshelf that Loki seemed to like the look of. She hoped that the office would keep him occupied enough to keep him out of trouble. Despite how nervous he made her and how evil he might have been, she wanted this to work out for him. She didn't want him imprisoned for the rest of his life.

She led him onto her room and opened the door for him.

"This is my room. If you can't find me anywhere else in the house, I'm probably in here. If you need anything," she paused and she heard him make a 'tch' sound. She forgot that he thought himself above her, so he probably thought that she didn't have anything to offer him.

"Rephrasing," she clarified, "if you can't find something in the house, or need me to buy you anything at the store, but I'm in my room, just knock and I'll answer," she told him before shutting the door quickly.

Her room was the last in the hallway, so she turned and walked back through the kitchen, into her living room.

"This is the living room. I don't spend a lot of time in here, but feel free to spend as much time in here as you want," she encouraged. "God knows that T.V doesn't get used nearly as much as it should."

He looked slightly confused for a moment, clearly not knowing what a T.V was, but not caring enough to ask before his features returned to its regular blank mask.

The two stood there awkwardly for a moment, Reese looking anywhere but at Loki. She could feel his gaze on her, staring her up and down until he decided to turn and sit on the sofa. She sighed softly in relief and turned away. As she walked away she called over her shoulder, "I'll be in the office!"

As soon as she made it into her sanctuary, she put her back against the door and slid down it, trying to control her breathing. It was ridiculous how nervous he made her once they were alone.

* * *

Loki sat on the sofa in Reese's front room. He knew he flustered her, and he enjoyed that immensely. She wasn't a blusher, thankfully. She just became exceptionally shifty-eyed, and refused to make eye contact. He found this extremely hilarious.

After sitting on the sofa for a few moments, he decided to go to his room. No time like the present to get familiar with his living quarters for the next who-know-how-long.

It was a medium sized room, by mortal standards. The walls were a cream color and there was a comfortable looking full-sized bed pushed against the wall in the center underneath the only window in the room. There was a closet to one side of the room and a dresser on the opposite side. On either side of the bed was an end table.

The bed spread was a dark shade of green, which he appreciated, with black trim around the edges. Loki assumed that the sheets were the same shade of green.

He went over to the closet and flung the doors open. It wasn't very large, but it would have to do. He had no idea what he would be doing about clothes. He was forbidden from doing magic in Midgard, with consequences unknown. He had an idea it had something to do with the Warriors Three however, and had no intentions of bringing them down upon him. He was evil, not suicidal. He had brought nothing but what he was wearing, but hoped that he wouldn't have to go out to make any purchases. He doubted he would like any Midgardian clothes anyway.

A soft knocking at his door interrupted his thoughts about his wardrobe dilemma. He took his time going over to answer it and opened it to Reese raising her fist to knock a second time.

"Yes?" He answered curtly. She looked nonplussed by his tone, which annoyed him.

"I was thinking that since you didn't really bring anything with you we could go shopping to get anything you might need here in a bit," she said with a small smile.

Loki thought for a moment. It was a tempting thought, but not tempting enough. He wasn't going to spend more time than necessary with more mortals than he absolutely had to. He declined and promptly shut the door in her face.

He could hear the soft _pat pat pat_ as she walked away from his room in the direction of the living room. The sound of her footfalls carried on into the kitchen where he heard the water run. The water shut off again after a few moments and the padding of footsteps came back toward him, past the door, and on to what Loki assumed was either the office or the room Reese called her bedroom. A door clicked shut and it was completely silent.

Loki crossed the room again and sat down on the edge of the bed. Today was turning out to be a very long day.

* * *

Reese closed her bedroom door behind her with a soft _click_. She didn't know what to do about running errands now. If he didn't want to go, she wasn't going to force him, but if she didn't find a way for him to want to go, she couldn't go at all. That was one of the rules laid out by SHIELD. Once he was in her house, she wasn't allowed to go anywhere without him. Sure, there were SHIELD Agents stationed all around her property in various, hidden locations to make sure nothing went wrong, but Loki was mainly her responsibility. The Agents were just a precaution. They were backup, in case he went berserk and tried to kill her. They would eventually go away, hopefully.

Reese thought for a moment. What would convince Loki to come run some errands with her? She tried to think of what someone like him would like. He was obvious intellectual, considering how much smarter he thought himself compared to everyone on Earth. He was obviously very into theatrics and showmanship, if stories that were told to her by some of the SHIELD Agents were true. Maybe he would like to visit a bookstore while they were out so he could pick out some books that he liked. He could pick out as many as he wanted. She could afford it, since SHIELD was financing Loki's stay with her.

Deciding that it was worth a try to ask him again, this time with the bookstore bribe in her arsenal, she left her room and walked the few feet down to Loki's door. She knocked lightly and waited for an answer. It didn't take long before the door swung open once more and in its place stood Loki, towering over her short height with a look of inconvenience on his features.

"Yes, Mortal?" he answered shortly, just as he had the first time she had disturbed him. She was going to have none of his attitude.

"Loki," Reese began firmly but still remaining polite, "sweetie, I need to run errands. I need some stuff from the store and I know that we need to pick up some washing supplies and some things you might like to eat from the grocery store. I need you to come with me, because I'm not allowed to leave the house without you. SHIELD won't let me."

She saw his eyes narrow, his irritation obviously growing with each word she spoke. His face stayed completely neutral otherwise. Her nervousness reared its head, full steam ahead and she paused for a moment. Trying to smack it back down. Loki obviously took this as his moment to reply.

"I do not know why you think this concerns me, woman. I care not if you need anything, and whatever you think I need, you are mistaken." he went to close the door again, but her hand shot out to hold it open for one more moment, sudden nervousness gone and irritation at his attitude returning.

"Well, that's just too damn bad, now ain't it, sweetpea? If you'd be so _kind_ as to go with me, I'll be sure we stop by a bookstore or any other store you might be interested in. Sound like a fair trade to you?" Reese bargained with a scowl crossing her face.

Loki opened the door slightly further. He looked at her, eyes squinting thoughtfully before cracking a smile that looked more like he was showing teeth to intimidate and promptly shut the door in her face once more. She felt her nostrils flare with her temper – a habit she had picked up watching cartoons as a child.

Reese about-faced and headed toward the office, all the while muttering.

"Ooo, that _rude_... Well, I've never, in all my life... Can't _believe_..." She entered the office and closed the door behind her with an angry snap, trying not to slam it. The infuriating alien god hadn't been her for even a day yet and he was already making her want to break her doors.

* * *

Loki had to admit, irritating Reese had been fun. He imagined what she looked like angry. He knew she was, he could see the irritation in her eyes right before he had snapped the door shut in her face for a second time. Her anger was confirmed when she had practically slammed the door of whatever room she had gone into.

He wondered if her face went completely red, or if she just made a face. He imagined her eyes narrowing, he mouth turning down and turning into a hard curve, her nose crinkling and a small dent forming between her eyebrows as they turned down. He found the image to be quite cute. Which is why his mind completely shut the thoughts of her down and instead began considering her offer.

He could visit, and presumably purchase items from, and shop of his choosing, as long as he ran these errands with her. It was a tempting thing, but did her really wish to go out into public with the woman? He knew he would probably be recognized by people, he wasn't exactly a forgettable or inconspicuous figure. He had tried to take over the planet on full news coverage after all. He thought about it for a moment and came up with no solutions. It looked as though his decision was made for him. He had no choice but to go shopping with the small mortal woman, not if he wanted to wear something other than his one set of clothing he had.

Tilting his head up to the ceiling and releasing one last large, gusty sigh, he left his room and began his short search for his host. Reese was in the office. The opening of the door was almost instantaneous upon knocking. His answer to her offer was short and concise.

"I will go to the store with you."

The smile that crawled across her face almost made him smile as well. _Really, what in the world was going on with him?_

"Thank you, sweetpea," she told him. "Just let me grab a pair of shoes and we'll be out of here in a jiffy." She padded down the hall toward the living room with him following behind, opening a closet next to the front door quickly. She pulled out a pair of strappy leather sandals and slipped them onto her feet. She grabbed a bag that seemed to hold things that she needed and with a flash of a smile in his direction headed out the door.

He followed behind her once more, concealing a small smile because, _Gods, Reese was pretty._

**Oh, man, I know y'all hate me. I took so long to get this out, and I literally have no excuse for it. I just stopped writing. I didn't forget about it, I thought about it at least once a day, but I just couldn't figure out what to write – until tonight. It's a few hundred words longer than the first 2 chapters, which I hope makes up for the wait a little bit, but I thank y'all for waiting so patiently! I actually really liked this chapter a lot. We got a glimpse of Reese's temper. Also a little more Loki unsureness about his feelings. Reese still isn't really feeling much for him except intimidation and annoyedness. I'm pretty sure she wanted to deck him, honestly. Anyway, if y'all enjoyed please feel free to drop a review! I'll be trying to get the next chapter out for y'all a lot faster than this one came out. Signing off for now,**

**Primary.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: Loki never expected that the first woman he's ever had interest in would be quite so small, or quite so caring. He also didn't expect for her to be mortal. That sweet southern accent would probably kill him one day.**

_Chapter 4_

The long car ride with Loki into town was uneventful, besides the occasional complaint that her 'contraption' was too slow, even though the speed limit almost all the way there was 75 miles per hour. Reese though Loki looked on edge and couldn't figure out if it was because he felt unsafe in her car or if he was just nervous to go into town. She figured there might be some commotion if he was recognized, but she had a plan for that. Reese had a jacket from a date-gone-wrong many months ago in the trunk. She figured he could swap his jacket out with that one and she could do something different with his hair before they went inside their first store. Some people might give them looks for his funny outfit, but it might work to keep them from being mobbed by anyone.

Destination number one would be The Dollar General. She needed some feminine products and they were always cheapest there, plus, she liked the limited selection. It kept her from standing there comparing the different products for a long time.

She pulled into a parking spot and shut off her car. She slowly turned to Loki, hoping he wouldn't completely laugh in her face when she told him what they'd have to do.

"Loki, honey," she began. He lifted an eyebrow, obviously amused by her sudden nervousness. She took a quick breath and let the words out in a rush. "We've got to disguise you."

He let out a small, "hm," mulling over the idea. She hurried to explain.

"Just until we can get you some new clothes and a hair cut." He was nodding until her heard the words 'hair' and 'cut' in one sentence. His answer was slow and simple.

"Clothes, yes. Haircut, I think not."

Reese would take what she could get for now. She didn't feel like arguing over his hair right now.

"Alright that's fine, honey. But until we can get to the mall, you're going to look a little bit ridiculous. You'll have to take that jacket of yours off," she gestured to the black and green leather jacket he wore with a small flick of the wrist," and wear the one I got back there in the trunk, "she flicked her thumb out in the direction of the back of her car, "all the way buttoned up." He was nodding, which was a good thing. She would take things one at a time. Once he got the jacket on, she would ask if she could fix his hair.

"Stay in the car for a quick minute," she told him. Reese got out of the car, hurrying back to the car. She watched the back of his head, hoping that he didn't take take his chance to make a run for it. She became nervous when she lifted the trunk lid and her view of him became blocked. Wouldn't it just be perfect if she lost him while she was trying to help him?

She slammed the trunk closed and ran back to the front seat, relieved when she saw he was still there.

"Alright, take that jacket of yours off and put this one on. Remember to button it all the way up."

She waited patiently for him to take it off and hand it to her before she handed him the tan button up jacket. She knew it was a little too warm for it, but she figured if he could handle the thick leather one he'd been wearing, he could handle this one for just a little while. Reese folded his jacket and laid it carefully across the back seat.

He pulled it on and buttoned up slowly. While he did so, Reese thought of what to do with his hair.

"I gotta do somethin' with your hair, sugar," she told him, nervous that he would lash out at her for wanting to do something with his hair.

"No cutting," he told her curtly.

"No, no, I know. No cutting. I meant I need to style it differently. Your hair is kind of noticeable, hun. People might recognize you if you keep it the same style as when you tried to conquer the Earth."

Loki's lip quirked up. He was apparently amused at her bluntness.

"What did you have in mind, Mortal?"

And that was how, after ten minutes of fidgety struggling, Loki walked into The Dollar General with Reese sporting a coat that didn't match anything else he was wearing, and a black man-bun perched atop his head.

Reese was proud of herself. Doing a bun on someone else who had shorter hair than she did was difficult, but she managed it. It also didn't look half-bad on Loki. Reese could tell he wasn't particularly thrilled with the style, but it would have to do until he either agreed to a haircut or decided to live with the man-bun.

Deciding Loki didn't need a babysitter inside the small store, she gave him a smile and told him she'd come find him when she was done.

"If you find somethin' you want, bring it with you when we go to checkout, alright?" She called back to him as she left him to it.

When she found what she wanted, she slowed, comparing prices for a moment before throwing the one she wanted into the basket she had snagged on the way in. She continued onto the next aisle, browsing around until she found some other things she wanted, mostly writing and craft supplied. After a few more minutes of browsing around – Reese found some decent water guns that she planned on using on Loki when he pissed her off that she threw into the basket – she headed off to find Loki. He was only a few aisles over looking at some of the chips and snacks with a curious expression on his face. He looked so genuinely interested that it made her smile and laugh quietly. He ignored the sound and kept looking.

"Find anything ya like?" Reese asked him. He held up a plain green art pad wordlessly, still entranced by the many snacks before him. Reese grabbed it out of his hand before looking with him.

"These are my favorite," she told Loki enthusiastically, snagging a jumbo bag of cherry flavored Twizzlers and holding them up for him to see. He held out his hand for them and she handed them to him. He looked over the bag, turning it over in his hands.

"What is this thing they're in?" he asked her, obviously curious and not afraid to show it.

"It's just a bag that they're kept in so they stay fresh. C'mon, I'll buy a couple bags and we can open one in the car so you can try it."

He nodded and went back to staring at the shelves of candies and snacks. They picked out a couple more things before heading to the cash register at the front of the store. Loki was enthralled by the candies and magazines up at the register while Reese paid.

Reese held her breath while she paid, hoping that the large and chubby cashier who seemed to be paying extra attention to Loki didn't recognize him.

"Your friend there looks familiar," he told her suspiciously. Reese thought fast.

"Oh I get told that all the time! I think it's because he looks like Orlando Bloom," she enthused. The cashier nodded as if that was a perfect explanation.

"Oh yea, I guess he does look like Orlando Bloom. Longer, darker hair though. And no facial hair too. Maybe a reverse Legolas-Bloom," he rambled to her as he scanned the last item.

"Definitely, I tell him that all the time, he never seems to believe me." She paid for their items and started grabbing bags. "Honey, can you grab a couple bags?" She asked Loki.

He gave her a look that she read as, _really? You expect me to carry bags? _She gave him a look of her own that told him if he didn't he was about to get smacked and waited. He grabbed the last few bags and she turned, satisfied.

"Thank you!" she called to the cashier as she held the door open with her butt while Loki walked out in front of her. Together they made their way to the car. Reese pawed through the bags until she found the Twizzlers and took those out. She shoved the other bags into the backseat on top of his jacket and gestured for Loki to do the same.

While Reese plonked down in the driver's seat, Loki gracefully lowered himself into the passenger seat. Reese would have been lying if she said she wasn't amused by the difference between the two of them.

She tore into the bag and grabbed out a couple for herself before passing the bag to Loki.

"You are going to _love _these, Loki. They're so good." she sunk her teeth into a Twizzler and bit a chunk off. "Mmmm," she hummed quietly at the taste. It was a habit she had picked up from her aunt on her Papa's side. Her aunt would sit through the entire meal and hum, only pausing for a second or two when she needed to swallow. One day she had decided to try humming at every meal. It had annoyed the daylights out of her Mama, but she found after one day, she just couldn't stop humming when she ate.

Reese watched as Loki tentatively sniffed the Twizzler. With a laugh she started up the car and they were on their way to the next destination – a clothing store.

* * *

Loki would never admit it, but he was extremely nervous to try the long, red sweet. It was odd and false looking. It smelled strange as well.

As soon as he took a bite – more of a nibble, really – he realized he had every right to be nervous. The thing tasted _awful. _It tasted of plastic and rubber with the most artificial cherry flavoring he would ever have the displeasure of experiencing. It was horrendous.

With a sound that was a cross between a gag and a hack he spit it out right on to the floor of Reese's vehicle.

"Hey!" Reese admonished him. "None'a that now. You don't like it?"

"That," he replied slowly, feeling a little nauseous, "was disgusting." She gave a small laugh, probably at the expression on his face. He probably looked like – well, like he had eaten something particularly nasty.

"Eh, not everyone likes them. Maybe it was the flavor, a lot of people prefer the strawberry flavor over cherry."

Loki remained silent, a light sneer twisting his face. He doubted he would like any other flavor. They would most likely all have that same plastic flavor. Who was he kidding? Any Midgardian treat would probably disgust him. No matter, however. He'd have to get used to the food here. He knew he'd be here for a long time. Sentiment was not something he'd be likely to adopt back into his life.

The car ride to their next location was silent after that. Loki had no desire to converse with the human and Reese seemed to be content to drive quietly. It took only a few short minutes – ten probably – to reach wherever they were supposed to be.

It was a large building, with many glass windows and brick walls. There were names in large metal letters scattered about doorways and what looked to be the main doorway. He assumed that the letters were to indicate the name of the shop. There was a Macy's – perhaps the largest – and a JC Penney's, as well as a Beall's and several other names.

"We'll start at Macy's," Reese interrupted his observations as she shut off the car and shuffled around for her things. "I think you'd prefer the styles there over anywhere else. They have nice clothes there." Loki 'tch'ed quietly. He doubted it.

"Mortal clothing is ridiculous."

"Yea, well,get used to it, honey. We have no idea how long you'll be staying here."

She had a point. Complaining would do him no good now, he would just have to endure.

They both left the car, walking up to the doors of the shop. Loki's was was still tied up in the ridiculous 'man-bun' and he still had the jacket on that Reese had given him. He had to admit that he actually liked the jacket. It was comfortable, much more comfortable than his jacket, even if it wasn't as stylish. Loki was all about style.

On first glance, the inside of Macy's was nothing special. It seemed to be filled with articles of clothing of all different style for both men and women. His lip curled. His clothes on Asgard were always hand tailored, specifically for him.

"The men's section is just over here..." Reese muttered, leading him through the shop. "Do you know your leg measurements for your pants?"

Pants? Why would she need to know about _those? _When he didn't answer for a moment, she clarified.

"Your trousers, I mean."

Oh. He had no idea. That was for the seamstresses. He cared little, as long as they fit correctly.

"No."

She looked a little annoyed at the admission. _Good._

Well, then I guess we'll just have to try on a few different sizes until we find the right one. I reckon you're probably a size medium in shirts..."

Loki zoned out listening to her talk. They were now in the men's section of Macy's and he was slightly put-off at the amount of clothing around him, though he would never admit it. There was so much to choose from, he didn't know if he'd find anything even remotely satisfactory for him to wear.

"What do you think, hon?" Loki realized he hadn't heard a single word she'd just said. He raised his eyebrows in askance. _What had the human just asked him?_

"Do you want to start with trousers first or shirts? I think we should pick out some shirts first, since it'll probably take longer to find you some trousers."

He nodded in agreement. It probably would take them longer to find him some suitable trousers. "That sounds sufficient."

And they were off, searching the racks for something he'd like. He found that he quite liked the look of the tops she called 'button-ups.' They were sleek and professional-looking. He picked out several in various colors, not just sticking to green. Contrary to popular belief, green wasn't the only color he favored. He quite liked the color yellow, and a light pale almost-white blue caught his eye. He was particularly partial to a dark blue one, and picked out two or three in that color. He was fond of the variety, even if he still didn't quite like that his clothing wouldn't be tailored to his specifics. With a couple more button-up shirts, he felt like he was done. Reese shook her head.

"I'm gonna pick out a few shirts in a different style to try on with those, just to see if you like anything else. Sound alright?"

He gave her a slight glare, but otherwise conceded. Loki felt like he knew what he liked. He doubted she would be able to find anything to his liking.

He trailed behind her quietly as she looked through a rack of soft cloth shirts.

"These are called v-neck t-shirts. I think you'd look good in this style," she told him with a quick flash of a smile. She pulled one off the rack and held it up to show him. "Whaddaya think of this color?"

She was holding up plain white v-neck by the hanger, letting him see it so he could provide his opinion. He found he liked the look of it, which surprised him. She had actually found something he might like. It all depended on how it looked on him, he supposed. He grabbed the item from her without a word.

She beamed. He almost smiled back.

He walked away quickly in search of more v-neck t-shirts to avoid such a display. _What was wrong with him? Honestly, she was a disgusting mortal woman who deserved to be crushed, not smiled at as if she made him happy! This had to end. Sentiment was problematic. He wasn't supposed to feel, all of that nonsense was firmly behind him. Or so he thought. Apparently, there were still traces lingering! He had to stamp it out, and quickly._

When he'd finally found a good selection of v-necks without Reese's assistance – although she trailed behind him, annoyingly – he turned to her and raised an eyebrow as he saw her. She was holding another item. It was another t-shirt, it seemed, but with a different neck line.

"This is a crew neck T. They're comfy," she offered as an explanation. He observed her as she held the shirt up for his viewing. She had another sweet smile on her face, which was quickly infuriating him. He wasn't mad because of the smile, but what it did to him. She had quite a lovely smile, actually. He just hated how it made him want to smile back. The only reason he should want to smile at her is if he was making her miserable. He needed to wipe that smile off her face.

"I do not need your assistance here, _mortal. _You are being no more than a nuisance."

The smile on her face died to be replaced by a scowl.

"Now you look here, _Alien-" _his face twisted at being called such an annoying word "-ain't so great being called something you don't like to be called, now is it? I suggest you call me by my name, which you _know. _Quit with this mortal business, before I get _real _annoyed. You hear me?" She was up close to him now, prodding him in the chest with the tip of a small index finger. He smirked. Now they were getting somewhere amusing.

"You mortals are all the same," he told her quietly with a smirk. "Quick to anger with a tendency to make idle threats. What will you do to me, _mortal woman? _You can not hurt me, I am a _god._"

The lightning of anger that flashed in her eyes made his smirk widen. She was turning out to be quite fun.

In the next second, she had grabbed the collar of the jacket he was wearing, pulling him down swiftly so her face was directly level with his. There faces were so close he could feel her quick breath fanning up into his hairline. The smirk grew.

"You listen here, Loki," she whispered directly in his face, "you're in _my _house now. I could do _all kinds _of things to you before your little vacation is done and over with. You _really_ want to get on my bad side right now?"

And with that sentence, the smirk was gone. She was his host until further notice. He didn't want to be any more miserable there than he already would be. Having her sabotage his meals or who knows what else just wouldn't do. He wasn't an idiot.

"You are causing a – what do humans call it?" he asked, switching out mortals for humans, hoping that would deflate her anger slightly. "You are causing a scene."

"Her eyes flickered around, realizing just how close she was to him and the people milling about, cautiously watching whatever was happening between the two. She released his collar, and took a step back. He might have imagined it, but it looked as though her gaze had flickered down to his lips for just a moment, and she scratched above her ear in embarrassment. He supposed they should carry on with their shopping.

With his pile of shirts held over one arm, he marched off toward a door with the words 'Fitting Rooms' lit up above it silently. That must be where he needed try on his load of shirts.

* * *

Reese was embarrassed. She almost never lost her cool like that. Generally, she was pretty even tempered and almost never got angry like that. Hearing Loki call her a mortal with such disdain, though, it was like a light bulb exploding in her head. She wanted to smack that nasty little smile right off his smug face.

But then he'd reminded her of the other people in the store and she wanted to sink into the ground. She had completely lost it in Macy's, of all places, where people could see. And he was looking at her, no amusement in that blue gaze of his. He was completely calm, and he'd called her human with a normal tone, which had satisfied the angry part of her brain.

And when she'd let go of the collar of his jacket, her eyes had somehow flicked down to his mouth. She hadn't realized just how close their faces were until them, only a little over an inch apart. Being so close was a shock, and he had nice lips, even if they were a little thin. He had nice teeth too, she had seen when he opened his mouth to speak. And his eyes, which she hadn't really noticed until them due to nervousness, were a very nice blue.

She shook herself out of her inappropriate thoughts. Loki was there to get better, so he could understand humanity and emotions again. He wasn't there to be cute for her. Plus, he'd killed a lot of people.

With that thought in mind, she put the shirt in her hand down and went in search of a shopping cart. They would probably need one after they found some pants for Loki.

** Aaaaand, end scene. What are everyone's thoughts and opinions? Man! It's only day one and Reese is already wanting to beat him up. Also, she's starting to think he's a cutie. How about that? Loki just needs to get over himself, though. This chapter was a little bit boring, but I was going for more of a domestic vibe. In fact, this whole story will probably be pretty domestic. We're going for a Loki transformation here. Anyway! Drop a review if you want! Signing off for now,**

** Primary.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary: Loki never expected that the first woman he's ever had interest in would be quite so small, or quite so caring. He also didn't expect for her to be mortal. That sweet southern accent would probably kill him one day.**

_Chapter 5_

Loki realized just how much of a pain in the ass it was to get his clothing off without the help of a servant or his magic. He considered asking the woman for help, but decided against it. He didn't need her help. He could do it on his own.

Finally, after some struggling, he managed to take off the entire top part of his outfit, including his under tunic. He discovered that he liked how the button-ups looked very much, especially with the sleeves pushed up to the elbow neatly. The v-necks were nice as well. They were comfortable, and nicely accentuated his biceps and shoulders.

He left the fitting rooms with all but a few of the shirts, and that was only because he found that the colors didn't look very good on him.

Reese was standing there with a small red trolly of some sort.

"Put those in the cart," she told him, gesturing to the load in his arms. "We'll probably have a lot of clothes to carry by the end of this and it's easier to carry them in here."

He nodded minutely, dropping the shirts in.

"Alright," she said brightly, obviously over the tizzy they'd just had, "on to pants now." He didn't question it this time. He knew that pants here meant trousers. She lead him away back to the men's section. They stopped by a large wall of shelves, filled with trousers. "C'mere for a sec?" she requested. He was curious what she wanted, so he complied.

When he was close enough, she grabbed his waist. He nearly jumped back.

"What-"

"I'm just tryin' to gauge what your waist size is, once I figure that out it shouldn't be too hard to find your right size," she explained, seeming to be embarrassed. She wrapped her fingers around his waist again, mumbling, "sorry," as he tensed again. He would have been lying if he said that this wasn't weird.

She stepped to the side and he lifted his arm to watch what she was doing. She held her hands flat, one in front and the other in back. The one in front was held against his lower stomach, her thumb directly over his naval. The other rested on his lower back.

"Let's try out a 34 and see what kind of sizes look like they fit your leg length," she finally told him.

She glanced around at the shelves, one hand on her hip and the other resting in a fist on her chin. A finger was extended, tapping thoughtfully against her lips. _Those lips._

Loki quickly shook himself out of those thoughts as Reese finally found what she was looking for.

"Ha!" she exclaimed, bending down to a lower shelf. "Here we go." She pulled a dark pair of trousers out and held them up. Loki watched at the legs unfolded. "Too short." She shook her head. The next pair she pulled out made her nod her head. Reese stood and let this pair unfold as well. She held the up next to his body. "Here," she said, pushing them into his arms, "go try these on so we can see how they fit."

With a small sneer, but no argument, Loki turned and headed again for the fitting room. It was less difficult getting his shoes and trousers off than what he had taken off earlier. In a minute or two he was standing in front of the fitting room mirror, examining the trousers he was trying on.

They were a good fit around the waist, if a little uncomfortable due to whatever material they were made of. He figured he would have to get used to that, though. They were too short. The hem came down to a little less than a inch above the top of his foot, which was extremely awkward looking.

"How's it lookin'?"

Loki jumped – hard. He cursed inwardly at being caught off guard by the human woman. How was she able to sneak up on him like that? He took a moment to compose himself before answering.

"These trousers are too short."

"How much? Let me see real quick."

With a short sigh of annoyance, he stepped out of the small cubicle he'd been trying the trousers on in. Reese was standing right there.

She let out a small laugh at the sight of his too short trousers, earning a glare from Loki. How dare she laugh at him? She had been the one to suggest this pair of trousers, after all.

"Sorry, sorry," she chuckled, "It's just funny seein' a super villain in jeans that are a full inch too short. You go ahead and take those off. They fit alright around the waist?"

He gave a short nod before reentering the cubicle.

"Hey, I'll be right back with a pair that'll fit better, okay?" He didn't hear footsteps, so he assumed she was waiting for an answer.

"Okay," he drawled boredly. He heard her footsteps retreating out the door.

He wiggled himself out of the trousers and waited for her to return, sitting on the bench in the small room in his underwear. A few moments later, he heard her return. She pecked on the door to his cubicle with her fist.

"Crack the door so I can hand these to you real quick, sweet pea."

He did as asked, honestly not really caring. He figured she'd throw another fit if he didn't, and he really wasn't in the mood for another one of those. He really just wanted to finish and then leave.

He slipped into the new pair of trousers, and was much more pleased with the fit of them. They came down and pooled slightly around his feet, brushing against the floor at just the right length. Unlike the last pair that had squeezed just a tad to tightly, which must have been why they were so uncomfortable, these squeezed just right, in all the right places. Loki liked to look good, an that definitely included his butt. He idly wondered if Reese would like the way these looked on him.

And then he realized what he had just thought and nearly slapped himself right in the face. Who cared what the insignificant human woman thought of the way he looked? She did not matter.

"How do they look?" she asked him through the door.

"Fine."

"Well, let me see then!" She seemed excited to see the trousers on him.

He slowly stepped out, nervous for her to see him for some reason. _It's because you like her_, his brain whispered almost inaudibly. He took no notice.

"Oooooo, would you look at that? You look good in those, honey bunch. Those look like they fit you great. How do you feel?"

Loki couldn't help but feel good about her compliment. He didn't allow himself to show it to her, however.

"They will do," he told her simply. That seemed to be enough for her. She nodded resolutely.

"Well go ahead and get those off. Once you do, go throw them in the basket, and then we'll go on the hunt for some more in that same size."

Getting the trousers off was simple and quick for Loki, and soon he and Reese were browsing around the men's section once more. She always stayed by his side. He was sure she was making sure he didn't run off while they looked for what he needed. He understood why she stayed glued to his side, almost. It didn't mean he enjoyed it, however. He found it to be annoying, actually. He wasn't going to run off. That would be an instant death sentence for him. He did not, in any way, have a death wish.

Eventually they had found enough pairs of trousers for him to get by for a while. He figured that there would be various shopping trips throughout his stay. He would need more clothing than this, definitely. He would take what he could get for now, though.

Before checkout, Reese brought up something he had actually forgotten about.

"You need underwear and socks, pajamas, and some different shoes," she told him.

"Are those provided here?" he asked her. It would be simple to get those here if those items were available here at Macy's.

"Yea, but they're kind of really expensive. We can hit JC Penney's for the socks and underwear and then a shoe store." She didn't looked at him, concentration on her face as she maneuvered through the crowded Macy's. "Sound good?"

He nodded. It's not like he had much of a choice, not if he wanted to wear more than one outfit his entire stay.

"Good."

They checked out, paying for the items he had chosen. Loki knew it was an expensive haul of clothing by the look on Reese's face. She wrinkled her nose, puckered her lips and raised her eyebrows. Loki had to admit to himself that it was quite an adorable expression, even if the next thought was to tell himself to shut up because mortals weren't adorable. They were worms, and that was it. Nothing else.

The search for underwear, socks, and pajamas was quick. He went with boxer-brief underwear with plain black socks and just pajamas bottoms. He slept the same way at home, just sleep pants, and figured it wouldn't matter if he did the same thing on Midgard.

All of that was a simple decision. The difficult part was finding shoes that he liked. Loki was very picky when it came to shoes.

* * *

"What about these ones?" Reese asked the alien god. Who knew someone could be so picky when it came to a couple pairs of shoes? This was ridiculous. They had been in this place for at least an hour, and he had said no to every single suggestion she had made. They had found his shoe size – 13 – and had been looking there for something he might like. It had been a harder task than she had anticipated.

"No." His tone was bored, and it irritated Reese. She threw the shoe back in its box and shoved it back onto the shelf. Fine, if he didn't want her help, she didn't need to give it.

"Fine, then, Mr. Picky. I'm sitting down. You can look for some shoes yourself, since I'm obviously not helping in any way."

She plunked herself down on a bench inside the store and waited for him to find something, anything, so they could go home. It was almost time for dinner, and Reese was starving.

Reese watched while Loki browsed the aisle with his size in it. She had to admit that this store had a pretty good selection for his foot size. Stores generally didn't have a lot of selection for big and small sizes. It was normally only the mid size shoes that were in plentiful variety.

Loki stooped down to examine a shoe he seemed to have an interest in. He pulled it out of its box, holding it up in front of his face. His eyes narrowed slightly, his mouth puckering to the side as he looked it over. He nodded once and pulled the entire box of the shelf, tucking it under his arm safely.

"Finally," Reese murmured.

Loki continued to browse until he found just one more pair that he liked – on sale too – and they finally finished up their shopping. Groceries would have to wait for another time. If Reese went shopping for food now, she'd just want to buy everything in the store. She'd have to go the next day after she ate breakfast.

They piled all their purchases into the back seat before climbing into the front seats. Reese had a thought.

"Maybe we should get you driving sometime if you'll be staying for a while," she suggested.

"Perhaps," was his answer.

They made it back home in relative peace. Loki's only complaint was the music she had playing. She had turned on the radio to her usual station, the local rock station, and Loki didn't seem to like it very much. It was her car, though, and her radio. She had even told him so.

"My car, honey. I'm driving, so it's my radio. Deal with it."

He had sulked the rest of the way after that. She didn't really care. It was just one car ride, anyway.

She made him help her carry all of the bags in. They were his clothes, after all. He could tell he didn't like it. Why should Loki, a god among humans, have to carry anything? She wanted to tell him, 'too bad, so sad,' but refrained. He would get used to doing things for himself soon enough.

Dinner was another quiet affair. Loki was obviously mad at her for making him carry things and for sassing at him for complaining, but it didn't matter. He'd get over himself eventually. Until then, she'd let him sulk and pout like an eight-year-old. It didn't matter to her at this point. Just one day and she was already prepared to tell him how it was if he really had an issue being on Earth with her. It was his own fault he was here anyway. She wasn't about to put up with his crap, no matter how cute he was. Even though she didn't think he was cute. Really, honest. He was a murderer, after all.

* * *

Loki and Reese ended up retiring to their rooms around the same time that night. Reese went first, then Loki just a few minutes after. He could hear her in the bathroom across the hall, preparing for bed. There was running water and the sound of things being clinked against each other as she brushed her teeth. He realized that that was probably one of the things they had forgotten, along with other hygiene products that most humans used. He didn't have a tooth brush or any deodorant. He would have to inquire about that. He assumed she would want him to use that, since he couldn't freshen himself up the usual way.

When she came out, he was waiting for her. It seemed that she knew what he wanted to ask, so she gestured with a thumb towards the bathroom.

"I actually got you a tooth brush and stuff before you came," she told him with a sheepish smile. "You can use the tooth paste that's already in there."

He nodded and entered the bathroom without thanking her. He didn't need to.

He decided to take a shower before going to bed. It took him a few minutes, but based on the symbols on the knobs he managed to figure it out. After a shower and brushing his teeth, he went to his room for the night.

He was right when he thought that it would be a long day. It had taken them forever in Macy's and the shop with all the shoes that he couldn't remember the name of anymore. He didn't think it could take so long to find clothing and footwear that he wanted to actually wear, but it did. He wondered how humans enjoyed shopping like that. He was exhausted now, and all he wanted to do was close his eyes and sleep. It would be the first sleep in months that was in a real bed and not in an Asgardian cell. Really, it was almost like heaven for him.

And Reese, despite her human flaws was really quite pretty. Loki had finally come to terms with the idea. It was okay to think she was attractive, as long as he didn't act on these thoughts. She was just a weak human woman. She wasn't good enough for him. She would never be good enough for a god like him. He had to say, though, she certainly did have an incredibly strong spirit so far. She hadn't shown her obvious fear of him yet, and she had even put him in his place, so to speak. It was quite endearing to see her so angry. She reminded him strongly of a fluffy, furious woodland creature.

Loki fell asleep that first night with thoughts of Reese in his mind.

**Oh my gosh! It took a few more days than I would have liked to finish this one up, but someone in my family got their wisdom teeth removed and I've been taking care of them these past few days. I think I should be getting back into my recent groove here soon, though, so have no fear! I can't say I'm really in love with this one. It was kind of boring, more fillery like the last one, only more boring. It'll start getting more interesting though. I'm planning on making a time hop so we can get into more good stuff. I'd like to thank those of you who have been reviewing, especially a consistent reviewer on this story! This person's name is overlordred. Thank you so much for your support! Anywhow, review if you'd like. Signing off for now, **

**Primary.**


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